What's best practice for calling and scenting on public ground (state land) where others hunt. I'd like to think I was the only one there for weeks but that may not be the case. If I lay a drag to my stand and set up wicks will that confuse the deer if Joe Schmoe did the same thing a few days ago near by? Similar question with calling techniques for this type of land... I hear less is better since the deer may already be somewhat pressured. Although it is archery season and the land I hunt (about 11000 acres) doesn't get a ton of hunters until the riffle season opens. Just curious as to anyone else's experience on the o-so-unpredictable-and-sometimes-frustrating-public land hunts.

This is just my experience as well as learned knowledge.I have had virtually zero success with calling on pvt land (2x) and even less on public (0% success). I hunt it two heavily pressured states.MI which kills alot of bucks and has an enormous amount of hunters, FL which has essentially unlimited bucks, and a very long seasonCalling? They really have no reason to come the ratio is so askew in the bucks favor. Although, if you hit peak rut, like when some does are starting estrus, I do think calling can be successful, but a lot relies on timing and your herd.

Scents? I've used everything I can think of. Aerosols, doe pee, buck scent, tarsals gland. Suspended from trees, drag rags, I can't imagine how many I have tried over the years all with very very limited success.Once again I think this too is dependent on the buck to doe ratio.Best success I have had with anything was 1) mock scrape's made with my own urine (had visual queue's too) and it was also at peak rut (IE does coming into estrus) 2) Smokey's preorbital

Currently I have 2 years of using Smokeys and I cannot tell you how many deer it attracts to the branch. I start using it early summer (after I scout and determine "where" the deer are), within 24 hours I get deer on camera. Is it attracting them? Or am I just introducing a new scent they find curious/alarming and they just have to check it out? Dunno yet, but I do know that I haven't caught anything else on camera like that using other 'scents'

Just my experiences.

"Go as far as you can see; when you get there, you'll be able to see farther."

For every success story I've had with scents and calls, I probably have a dozen failures. I've used both extensively in the past. I do still call once in a while, but I have left the scents home for years.

My advice on public land is to get back down to the basics. Use the terrain, cover, etc. in your favor and eschew the gimmicks.